Local Direct Democracy in Europe

Cover......Page 1
Direct Democracy in Modern Europe......Page 3
Local Direct\rDemocracy\rin Europe......Page 4
ISBN 9783531182506......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Preface......Page 9
Local Direct Democracy in Europe – a comparative overview......Page 10
Some general literature and sources......Page 11
Countries included in the book......Page 12
Main forms in local affairs......Page 17
2 Basic developments and contexts of democracy......Page 13
3 Forms of local direct democracy......Page 16
Regulations and Profiles9......Page 19
4 Practice......Page 21
5 Conclusions – political impact and quality of local direct democracy......Page 23
Different rules and practices in context......Page 24
Contributions to democracy......Page 25
References......Page 27
Appendix......Page 29
I. Emerging Patterns......Page 32
History and overview of direct democracy legislation in the Czech Republic......Page 34
Local referendums on municipal separation......Page 36
Citizen-initiated and council-initiated local referendums......Page 38
Voter information and responsiveness in the local referendum in Brno......Page 44
Electoral and policy consequences of the Brno referendum......Page 50
Conclusion......Page 52
References......Page 53
Select Legislative Sources......Page 54
1 Historical background and recent developments......Page 55
2 Instruments of Local Direct Democracy available......Page 57
3 Local initiatives and referendums: regulations in 16 laender.......Page 58
4 Practice......Page 61
Frequency of usage......Page 62
Issues of initiatives and referendums......Page 64
Adoption of proposals by council......Page 66
Ballot vote: success or failure......Page 67
Participation......Page 68
5 Conclusions......Page 69
References......Page 72
Appendix......Page 73
Introduction......Page 76
1 The constitutional framework of the referendum2......Page 78
2 The national level referendum experience in synthesis......Page 79
3 The institutionalisation of the regions and the municipalities......Page 81
4 The never-ending transition: from proportional democracy to majoritarian democracy?......Page 82
5 Whither the State: from the unitary to the regional state?......Page 83
6 From the Regional to a Federal State?......Page 84
7 The institute of the referendum in the regional statutes prior to constitutional reform......Page 85
8 The institute of the referendum in the new regional statutes approved after the constitutional reforms......Page 86
8a The ‚abrogative referendum‘ promoted by request of electors......Page 87
8b The „consultative referendum“......Page 89
9 The referendum in the municipal statutes......Page 92
10 Brief remarks on the referendum experience in the Regions and Municipalities......Page 95
10a Regional experiences......Page 96
10b Municipal experiences......Page 98
10c A special family of municipal referendums......Page 101
Conclusions......Page 105
References......Page 109
Web sites......Page 112
Appendix......Page 113
Regional and local level......Page 114
Historical perspective and comparison......Page 115
Local level – 1970-2000......Page 116
Referendums about alcohol......Page 117
Territorial referendums......Page 118
The use of referendums during the survey period......Page 119
Participation......Page 120
Participation and number of municipalities involved......Page 123
Conclusion on local referendums......Page 124
Local governance in change?......Page 125
References......Page 126
1 Constitutional foundations......Page 127
2 The evolution of regulations......Page 128
3 The recall referendum in practice......Page 130
4 Facultative referendum......Page 133
5 Referendums on self-taxation......Page 135
7 Proposals for the future......Page 136
References......Page 137
2 Theoretical argument and hypotheses......Page 139
3.1 Definitions and general overview......Page 141
3.2 Vote trends at three state levels......Page 144
3.3 Ballot votes and political traditions......Page 145
3.4 Ballot vote trends and institutions......Page 147
4.1 Turnout in ballot votes......Page 149
4.2 Elite recommendations and ballot outcomes......Page 150
4.3 Probability of ballot vote approval at the polls......Page 152
5 Conclusions......Page 155
References......Page 156
1 Introduction......Page 158
2.2 The eight local authorities......Page 159
2.3 Geographical location......Page 160
3.1 Superordinate rules......Page 161
3.2 Assembly democracy......Page 162
3.3 Initiative, referendum, popular vote......Page 164
4 Conclusions: the use of direct-democracy at the local government level......Page 167
5 References......Page 169
Local government codes (bye-laws)......Page 170
II. Small Beginnings......Page 172
Direct democracy in Britain: citizens’ empowerment or political cosmetics?......Page 174
1 The various provisions for Direct or Participative Democracy in the British context:......Page 175
Consultative Democracy......Page 176
2 What is the rationale for referendums? A not so ‚quiet revolution‘.......Page 177
3 The politics of local referendums......Page 179
4 Conclusion: more cosmetics than reforms? More questions than answers?......Page 180
References......Page 181
Annex 1: List of referendums on devolution and regionalisation in the United Kingdom......Page 183
Annex 2: Referendums on the option to elect mayors in Britain (2001-2007)......Page 184
Procedures of Direct Democracy in Bulgaria......Page 185
Regulating Policies......Page 187
Practice......Page 188
Developments......Page 190
1 Procedures of direct democracy......Page 194
2 Regulating policies......Page 195
3 Practice......Page 196
4 Evaluation......Page 198
References......Page 201
Local popular votes in Finland – procedures and experiences......Page 203
Classification......Page 204
Practice 1: Petitions......Page 206
Practice 2: Agenda Initiative......Page 207
Practice 3: Local Authorities’ Plebiscites......Page 209
The Purpose of a Procedure is Revealed by its Design......Page 210
Elements for a History of Direct Democracy in Finland......Page 212
Future Prospects......Page 215
References......Page 216
Appendix 1\r......Page 217
Typology of Modern Direct Democracy......Page 222
What does this typology look like?......Page 223
Three TYPES and eleven forms of popular vote procedures......Page 224
Introduction......Page 227
1 A window of opportunity: Consultative Democracy through advisory panels......Page 228
What is the rationale for local referendums?......Page 230
Direct democracy at the local level......Page 231
3 Decisive referendums on institutional reforms: a ‚quiet‘ revolution?......Page 232
Conclusion......Page 234
References......Page 235
Annex 1: Mechanisms for local direct democracy......Page 236
Annex 2: List of French Acts of Parliaments referring to ‚local referendums‘ and to ‚local consultations‘.......Page 237
1 Regulating policies......Page 238
2 Practice......Page 242
3 Conclusion......Page 244
References......Page 245
1.1 Procedures of direct democracy......Page 246
1.2 Practice......Page 247
2 National referendums......Page 249
3 Conclusion......Page 254
1 Introduction......Page 255
2 Swedish local democracy – an unfinished journey......Page 257
3 Initiative and referendum – the Swedish practice......Page 258
4 Conclusions......Page 262
Official reports published by the Swedish Government......Page 265
Appendix......Page 266
1.1 Historical background......Page 269
1.2 Regime change, legal conditions......Page 270
1.3 Referendum Law......Page 271
1.4 Regional and Local Level......Page 272
2.1 Emergence of the Structure of Local Governance in Latvia......Page 273
2.2 Local Government Structure......Page 274
2.4 Public Participation in Decision-Making......Page 275
3.1 History and Legal Provisions......Page 276
3.3 Public Participation and Forms of Direct Democracy......Page 278
3.4 Problems of Lithuanian Local Government......Page 279
4.1 Municipalities and municipal size......Page 280
4.2 Local Referendums and Public Initiatives in Practice......Page 282
4.3 Political Participation and Citizenship......Page 283
4.4 Modern Technology, E-Inclusion......Page 284
5 Conclusions......Page 286
References......Page 287
Internet sources......Page 288
Appendices......Page 289